Level: 1, Lesson: 15
HOW TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
OUTLINE

Acts 10:1-6: "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: 6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do."

Even though Cornelius was a God-fearing devout man, he did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

In Acts 10:43-46 we see what Peter told Cornelius to do, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God."

Cornelius and his household heard the words of Jesus preached, faith arose in their hearts, and then they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

The purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to empower you to be an effective witness of the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Gifts of the Holy Spirit manifest to show that you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Most often in the New Testament, the gift of speaking in other tongues manifested.

Acts 8:13: "Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done." Simon the Sorcerer saw manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16:15-17: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues."

The gift of speaking in tongues is evidence that you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

I Corinthians 13:8-10: "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."

When will these tongues cease? I Corinthians 1:7 says, "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." When Jesus comes back, we will be made perfect, so we won’t need these gifts any longer.

Acts 2:4: "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you speak in other tongues. The Holy Spirit gives you the utterance.

Luke 11:13: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Your heavenly Father gives you the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit gives you the utterance. Ask Him for the baptism in the Holy Spirit right now.

HOW TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
Lesson Text

There are many different ways to describe the experience of being "saved" in terms that the Bible uses. For example in John 3:3 it is referred to as being "born again"; in Matthew 18:3 as "conversion"; in Mark 16:16 as "believing and being baptized"; in Colossians 2:13 as having been "forgiven" of all trespasses; in Romans 6:23 as having received "eternal life"; and in Romans 8:9 as having received "the Spirit of Christ." Although many terms are used, they all basically mean the same thing.

In like manner, the experience which is subsequent to and distinct from salvation is described as: "the baptism with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5); being "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4); "the Holy Spirit falling on" someone (Acts 11:15); and having "received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 19:2). These are synonymous terms referring to one and the same thing.

There are many examples in the New Testament of the difference between salvation by the quickening of the Spirit, and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. For example, in John 20:22, Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit, but a few days later were actually baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). The Samaritans, in Acts 8:12, believed upon Christ and were baptized and saved, yet were baptized with the Holy Spirit several days later (see Acts 8:16-17). In Acts 19:1-7, the Apostle Paul found several disciples who had believed upon Christ, but had not received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Verse 6 states that " . . . when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."

Dr. R. A.Torrey, the first president of Moody Bible Institute, wrote: "It is evident that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is an operation of the Holy Spirit distinct from and additional to His regenerating work...A man may be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and still not be baptized with the Holy Spirit. In regeneration, there is the impartation of life by the Spirit’s power, and the one who receives it is saved: in the baptism with the Holy Spirit, there is the impartation of power, and the one who receives it is fitted for service. . .(The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, by R. A.Torrey, pgs. 174, 176).

Now that you’ve received Jesus as Lord, Master and Ruler of your life, are you willing to receive what He has for you? Do you believe this promise is valid for you today? (If not, read Acts 2:38-39 and I Corinthians 1:7, which state that the Holy Spirit and His gifts are all valid and in operation for us today until the second coming of Jesus Christ.) Do you need power to witness? (Acts 1:8 states that you "shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you") Are you afraid of manifestations of the Holy Spirit such as tongues? Mark 16:17 says, "These signs shall follow them that believe; they shall speak with new tongues . . ." Do you believe this is for you? Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"

Will you pray and ask Jesus to do His part by baptizing you with the Holy Spirit? Will you do your part, that is, receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues? Acts 2:4 says, "they spoke . . . as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Are you going to RECEIVE? Are you going to SPEAK and worship God in another language?

Are you ready to receive? Then pray this prayer with me: "Father, thank you that Jesus died for all my sins and arose from the dead. I renounce Satan and all his works. I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord, Master, and the Boss of my life. My life belongs to Him. Lord, you promised to baptize me with the Holy Spirit. I will receive power to witness and speak in new tongues. Lord baptize me now and I will speak with new tongues as you form the words for me now. In Jesus name, Amen."

HOW TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
(Additional Information)

ACTS 2:4

This filling of the Holy Ghost was subsequent to their born-again experience. Paul later revealed in Romans 10:9 that a person had to confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in his heart that Jesus was raised from the dead before he could be saved.

These disciples had already done this. John 20:28 specifically records Thomas kneeling before the resurrected Jesus and confessing that Jesus was both Lord and God. No doubt all of these disciples had already been saved, yet they had not received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This same thing was true of the people who believed on Jesus in Acts 8:12,17 and Acts 19:2-7.

Therefore, it is possible to be saved, yet not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus spoke of (John 7:37-39; Acts 1:4-5). Since the Holy Spirit is now given and we do not have to tarry for His coming, we can receive salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the same time, but it is not automatic. We must ask and believe (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:13) for the baptism of the Holy Ghost just as we believed for salvation.

Speaking in tongues is unique to the church age. This is because when a person speaks in tongues, his new, born-again spirit is speaking (I Corinthians 14:14), not his mind. Before salvation, our spirits were the part of us that was "dead in trespasses and sins." Therefore, until we received a new spirit (II Corinthians 5:17), the Holy Ghost could not give us this supernatural communication with the Father.

However, this experience was prophesied about in the Old Testament. Joel prophesied about it in Joel 2:28-29, which Peter refers to in his explanation of this miracle. Isaiah spoke very specifically of speaking in tongues in Isaiah 28:11-12 and Jesus also said believers would speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).

The other tongues that these disciples spoke were languages other than their own, which they had never learned before. These tongues were different than the tongues which Paul was giving instructions about in I Corinthians 12-14, in that these were known languages.

There are two kinds of speaking in tongues which are clearly spoken of in I Corinthians 13:1. They are called "the tongues of men and of angels." The tongues of men are the known languages which the disciples spoke in here. The tongues of angels, or heavenly languages, are the tongues which all Spirit-filled believers can speak in, that Paul was speaking about in I Corinthians 12-14.

This is the only example of believers speaking in known languages recorded in the Bible. The other instances of speaking in tongues (Acts 8:18 (Amplified); Acts 10:45-46; Acts 19:6), were evidently the heavenly languages unknown to men.

Speaking in tongues was not as people had envisioned it. The Holy Spirit did not take possession of the disciples to the point that they had no control over what was happening.

Paul makes a special point of this in his letter to the Corinthians about how the gifts should be properly administered. He tells the Corinthians to control themselves and not speak in tongues in church unless there is an accompanying interpretation (I Corinthians 14:27-28). He would not have told them this if they had no control over the gift.

The gift of speaking in tongues is no different than the ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11. A true minister of God is also operating in a supernatural gift when he preaches or teaches. Peter was being used of the Holy Spirit as much when he preached to this crowd as when he spoke to them in tongues. Yet no one expects him to simply open his mouth and have God supernaturally control it.

The Holy Spirit inspires and anoints a preacher, but the minister’s will is still intact and the degree to which the Holy Spirit uses the minister is largely dependent on how much the individual yields to His control. This is how it is with speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit gives the individual utterance, but the individual must exercise his faith to speak (Mark 16:17) and believe that the result is inspired by God (Luke 11:9-13).

Failure to understand this one truth has caused many people to ask the Lord for the gift of tongues and then wait for the Lord to supernaturally move their mouths. If nothing happens, they say that the Lord must not want them to speak in tongues or it would have happened.

That is no more true than to say that every person the Lord has called to preach is preaching or every person He has given a prophecy has prophesied. We have to step out in faith.

ACTS 10:2

Cornelius was a very godly man but that was not enough. He had to believe the gospel and that’s why the angel instructed him to send for Peter. His holiness paid him a dividend in the sense that the Lord responded and sent him someone who shared the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with him. However, if he would have refused to believe on Jesus for the forgiveness of his sins, trusting instead in his performance to make him accepted with God, he would have split hell wide open.

ACTS 10:43

The Greek word that was translated "remission" here is "aphesis." It denotes a dismissal; release; freedom; pardon; forgive; to restore to an original condition.

This word is translated "remission" nine times in the New Testament (Matthew 26:28; Mark 1:4; Luke 1:77; 3:3; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 10:43; Hebrews 9:22; 10:18), "forgiveness" six times (Mark 3:29; Acts 5:31; 13:38; 26:18; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14), "deliverance" once and "liberty" once (both in Luke 4:18).

LUKE 11:13

The Holy Spirit is a gift (Acts 2:38). You cannot be good enough to earn the gift of the Holy Spirit, but you do have to ask. This is speaking of the baptism of the Holy Ghost which is subsequent to the born-again experience.

MARK 16:17

Some people have tried to get around these verses by saying that they were not found in some of the oldest manuscripts. The only reason that people desire to explain these scriptures away is because their lives don’t match up with them. Instead of changing themselves, they would rather change the scriptures.

We still have the same authority today that Jesus gave His disciples to cast out devils. Speaking in tongues is still a supernatural gift for every believer who will receive it. We are still supposed to walk in victory over the devil and if a true believer lays hands on the sick, they will recover. "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). He gave us His power and ability. He gave us His power of attorney.

I CORINTHIANS 1:7

In verses six and seven, Paul is expanding on his statement in verse 5. Therefore, when all three verses are taken together, we see that Paul is speaking about the Corinthians being enriched with the gifts of the Holy spirit. That is how verse six says the testimony of Christ was confirmed in them. The Lord used the supernatural manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit to confirm the word that Paul spoke (Mark 16:20).

I CORINTHIANS 12-14

Despite their flagrant misuse of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Paul desired the brethren not miss out on a single one of the gifts. This makes it clear that Paul’s instructions in chapters 12-14 were corrective and not restrictive. That is to say, Paul never discredited the use of any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He just wanted them used in a godly manner.

HOW TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
(More Additional Information)

1. Promised by our heavenly Father.
   Joel 2:28: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh."
2. Jesus sent the promise of the Father.
   Luke 24:49: "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
3. The purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit—Power.
   Acts 1:8: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
   "Power": Greek "Dunamis," meaning "miracle power from heaven."
4. At salvation there is an inward working of the Holy Sprit described as "a Well of Water."
   John 4:14: "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
5. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an outward work of the Holy Spirit described as Rivers of Living Water.
   John 7:38-39: "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 139(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)"
6. You receive a prayer language called "Praying in Tongues" or "Praying in the Spirit."
   Mark 16:17: "And these signs will follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they will speak with new tongues."

HOW TO RECEIVE
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
(Additional Information)

1. Ask and receive.
   Luke 11:13: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to thee that ask him?"
2. Believe the Word of God from your heart the same as you did at salvation.
   Romans 10:9-10: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
3. By faith know that the Holy Spirit is filling you with power.
   Mark 11:24: "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
4. Now start speaking with words (not in English or every day language). Yield to the Holy Spirit and allow a full prayer to come forth.
   Acts 2:4: "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
5. The Holy Spirit will not make your mouth move.
   I Corinthians 14:32: "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."
   Conclusion: The Holy Spirit is a person and will speak through you using your lips, tongue, teeth and voice, if you allow Him. When you in faith begin to speak in tongues, the Holy Spirit is involved in the utterance—in the words you say. This is where the supernatural comes in. You do the speaking and the Spirit will give you the utterance.
6. Some benefits of speaking in tongues:
   Jude 20: You become sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
   The Holy Spirit "builds you up."
   I Corinthians 14:4: You edify yourself; you "improve yourself spiritually."
   I Corinthians 14:2: You are speaking to God, not to man.
   Romans 8:26-27: Perfect prayer. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what needs to be prayed.
   I Corinthians 2:11: The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God—to intercede on our behalf.
7. Lead the believer in prayer:

"Dear heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus name. Lord Jesus, according to your Word in Matthew 3:11, you are my baptizer. I ask you to baptize me with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. I receive now by faith. Thank you, Amen."

Here are some questions to think about for this lesson

Level 1 Lesson 15 Questions
HOW TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. What are some of the ways that salvation has been described?
2. How does Acts 11:15 describe this experience?
3. In John 20:22 Jesus' disciples received the Holy Spirit but a few days later were actually baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). Look at and compare these facts (John 20:22; Acts 2:1-4).
4. How does Acts 1:8 describe this work of the Holy Spirit?
5. Do you believe this promise is valid for you today? (See Acts 2:38-39 and I Corinthians 1:7).
6. What does Luke 11:11-12 mean?
7. According to Luke 11:13, what should you now do?
8. Will you now pray and ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit?
9. Will you speak and worship God in another language? According to Acts 2:4 you will speak but the Holy Spirit will give you utterance.

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